1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates to a method for manufacturing a diode and to a diode that has a p-n or n-p junction.
2. Description of the Related Art
Normally, such diodes are manufactured in that a semiconductor crystal wafer, for example a silicon wafer, is used in order to produce a p-n or n-p junction by the processes of diffusion or epitaxy. This junction is normally developed in a planar manner on a top side of the semiconductor crystal wafer, and, in a subsequent step, the semiconductor crystal wafer is separated into a plurality of individual diode chips. In the process, separation cuts are introduced, which extend from the top side of the semiconductor crystal wafer to the bottom side, and thus the semiconductor crystal wafer is separated into a great number of individual diode chips. Normally, the separation of the semiconductor crystal wafers occurs by a sawing process. Such a sawing process produces crystal defects in the area of the cut edges, which result in a deterioration of the properties of the diodes developed in this manner. For this reason, subsequent processing steps are required, which remove these crystal defects, for example etching the surface in order to remove this damaged crystal structure and/or subsequent temperature treatment steps.
Separation methods for separating brittle materials are already known from published German patent application document DE 10 2007 033 242 A1 or from published German patent application document DE 10 2010 032 029 A1. These separation processes entail the introduction of a mechanical disturbance in the semiconductor crystal and the formation of mechanical stresses by heating and cooling, a separating fissure then developing beginning at the disturbance.